Speed-changing gear



Feb. 25, 1930 B. VALLANCE 1,748g856 SPEED CHANGING GEAR` Filed March 2,1929 l 4 sheets-sheet 1 Mmm/L Feb. 25, 1930. B. vALLANcE 1,748,355',

SPEED CHANGING GEAR Filed March 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l In ve naro/1BERTRAM VALLANCE :Nm/wm MNM Feb. 25, 1930.

B. vALLANcE SPEED CHANGING GEAR 4Filed March 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheetfrauen/tan; BERTRAM VALLANCE Feb. 25, 1930. B. vALLANcE 1,748,856

SPEED CHANGING GEAR Filed March 2, l1929 4 Sheets-shew*l 4 [nven to;1

. ,'BERRA'M VALLANCE Patented Feb. l25, 1930 UNI-TED STATE-s PATENTorricr.:

SPEED-'CHANGING GEAR Application uled March 2, 1929, Serial No. 344,078,anda-in Great Britain february 29, 1,928.

M-'y .invention relates. to speed l changing gear andhas for its objectto providejan improved andsimpliied gear by'. which rotary 1 motion 'canbe transmitted from 'a driving element to a driven-element insuchmannerthat .the'speed Ofrotation of the driven member can, with greatfacility, beincreased andl de- 'creased through an indefinite number ofva-l,

Y riations between two extreme limits of speed, for example,- at anydesired speed between A zero-speed and v:1 -*predetermined maximumspeed;

In my `copending -application- Ser. No. 349,109,1iiled MarchQQ,l1.929-and patented described and:V claimed a motion transmittingmechanism. wherein-'the driving element anfd .the driven feleinent moveAat va fixed-speed ratio and are connected together through adrivingring :which is tilted or os- A cillated in such a manner 4th-atveverypoint in 'its circumference movesin 4a lemniscate path and therebyrotation of the driven :element is effected. .25 According` to mypresent invention the .sp'eedlehanging gear comprises a plate', ring orits" equivalent, connected rotatien-of the driving eleinentircauses thesaidlplate, ring, or its equivalent to tilt, or 'oscillate,'in suchmanner that. every point in its -ci'rcutr'ifeience mves'- in 'alemnisc'ate path, thatisa path resembling a uniform igurel 8`inscribedonv lthe, surface of a, sphere and .eflfects 'rtationiof thesaid driven 'element at a 'Spee-din accordance ivith the degree of thetilting-,foroscillating, .movement of the said plate, ring, o

the" driven element (hereinafter referred tc the Walls of slotsorgrooves t to a driving ele-1 ment and a driven element by .meanssuchthatas the driven shaft) so that every part, in succession, of thesaid driving ring is moved in one direction and simultaneouslyztherewiththe diametrically opposite part of-the said ring is. moved .in theopposite direction similarly to the vvobbling motion of a swasli plate.lInterpo'sed between the driving ring and the spherical head on thedriven 4shaft' are free wheel clutch devices which, during the tilting,or oscillating, movements of the driving ring, are caused to actsuccessively on which areinclined to the .axis of ther driven shaft andwhich are in the aforesaidspherical head.- The combined action of thefree wheel clutch devices effects. the rotation lof theA ,driven shaftata reduced speed which will be in ac-4 cordance with the angle to whichthesaid driving ring -s tilted from .the axis of the driven shaft. 70

I will particularly describe my invention with reference `to theaccompanying'drawings in which'Figure 1 shows, in section,'fan-exain,ple of speed change gear in accordance-therewith. Figure l shows,'inelevation', the'slot- 75 ted, or grooved, spherical headon the drivenshaft. Figure 2 is a section -o'f a part of the gear showing the meansfor tilting, or A.oscillating, the driving ring and for-varying theangle of the said 4ring relatively'to the axis of the driven shaft.Figure 3 is 'a diagrammatic -front. elevation, with the 'gear casingremoved, of the gear-shown in Figure 2. Figure 3a isa front elevatiomofthe device shown in Figure l for. eliecting relative ro- B5 tarymovement betweent'he driving ring and a cage ivithin the said drivingring. Figure 4 shows, in section, the driving ring and the sphericalhead on the driven shaft. Figure 5' isa View, at right angles .to Figure4,-' showing 90 in its upper'lialf .the driving ring in elevation, andin its lower half the partly spherical head and the said drivingring insection'. Figures 6 and 7 show, in` elevation at right angles to eachother, one ofthe four free wheel clutch rings. Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11vare sections of the portions ofthe respecti.Ven fi'ee wheel ciu-tchrings upon which agroller is mounted. Figure 12'is a side 'elevatiouofthe cage carried within the driving ring.

' shaft. "'15 tinie heilig is, -locl \'cdV to the sai Figure 13 is asection taken on the line A, A. Figure '12 and Figure 14 is a Sectionth(` right hand half of which is taken on the line li. B, and the lefthand half on the line t'. t. FigA ure 12.

The gear iii the example illustrated coinpriscs a. driven shaft 1, iualignmentA with a driving element 2. On the inner end of the drivenshaft 1 is secured a hollov.' spherical heed 3 having four equallyspared slots, or gi.:oves. 4 orined'in its outer surface which areinclined at an angleof approximately 45 to the.y longitudinal axisvofthe said driven Theinner end l*l of the driven shaft- 1 projectsthi'jdugh'tlieispherical lic-ad 3 intr, the holloiv portion thereof andthis projecting end 1s also spherical vand constitutes a pivot foradriving rin-gr '5 which embraces the spherical head 3.`hut is not indirect contact therewith. XVithin the driving ring 5 are foin-'freewheel clutches G, Gn. 6h, and G" each adapteth'as'fliereinafterdescribed, to he alternately clutched tov and freed from the saiddriving ring 5 and each has a conical roller 7 mounted thereon'whichengages one of ,tlie"f0.ur inclined slots, or grooves. 4 .in thesphericaLliead 3.j The driving ring 5 has an lelongated `central boss 5imounted on a. Spindle 8 ,one end 8 ofwhich is cupshapcd and tits uponthe. spherical end 1a of the, driven shaft 1 and Ahas aty its other enda hemispherical, or approximately heini- .,spherical. head 8b, -naperture 3a in the spherical` liead 3`permits the spindle 8 and theli'oss 53 of the driving ring 5 mounted thereon to tilt in any directionround the spherical en-'l 1fI of the driven shaft 1 at any angleivithiua predetermined range.. The wahhling. or tilting-movement of thedriving ring' ,5. (which is effected without rotating it)'i 'c`ausesthe: freeivhecl clutch rings, 6, 6125 [anellic tothe successivelylocke-d to the driving ring -,d'iiringl a portion of theirnioveineiitand during thisperiod the conical roller T con that clutchring ivh'ich for .the vd driving ring, hearsA upoirthe. inclined slot.,vor groove. 4 in the splieriealjliead 3 and imparts a partialrotaryinoveinent thereto. and as each clutch ring becomes operativi-fasuccession of partial rotations will be imparted to the said sphericalhead and be rotated at a uniform speed inproportion to the angle of tiltofthe driving ring. Y The direction in which the spherical head 3rotates` is controlled hv the free rings 6. (3, l" and 6 to whichthe.conical rollers T are attached. u k the frcevivheel clutch rings.(i569 in a clockwise direction iis/:pr A spherical head 3 Will herotated i counter clockwisedirection, and vice versa., The rollers 7 donot leave their respective slots, or grooves. hut only travel to and frotherein. Since the driving ring .5 docs not rotate, the

the driviiig`sliaft 1 Willv wheel clutch.,

inactive rollers (i. e. the: rollers on those free wheel clutch ringswhich for the tinuheing are not locked to the driving ring 5) willfree-wheel or idle within the drivingr ring during rotation ot thespherical head 3. At any given time. onliv one roller in the exampleshown, ivill he aci ive and impart a partial rotation to the sphericalhead, the reinaininf three rollers heing inactive, hut each insuccession becomes active and imparts a partial rotation to the saidhead so that liv thf.l partial rotationsl effected hy the rollers insuccession the rotation ot' tiierhead is' etdriven shaft l it isnecessary that theshape ot the slots, or grooves, 4 be accuratelydetermined and this iii-a3- hev e'ected as follows:

It, instead of. the rollers T. the clutch rings .i

be provided with scrihers with their points bearing upon the surface otthe spherical head 3 and the spindle head 8" he rotated while the saidhead 3 is lie-ld stationary. each scriber point would inscribe a figure8 on the said surface the axis of which would he parallel to the axis ofthe head. I-resuining the rotation of the head 8" to be correctly anduniforn'il)y ell'ected cach described ligure 8 would he exactlyr similarin shape and size. but it' the angle of tilt he increased or decreasedthe described figure 8 would hepropoitionatelj'v increased or deci-easedin size. It the spheri 'al head 3 be rotated ata. uniform speed ivhilethe head 8" rotating the ligure 8 would he developed int-o a`vfavv-liiie extending completely round the said head at an angle to theaxis dependent upon the speed ot' rotation of the head 3 relatively tothe speed of rotation of the `head 8". If, however, theAv rotation ofthc head S he carried through only a part ot' a rotation and theSpherical head 3 be iiltewise onl)1 pai-tl)y roA tated, only one side ofthe ligure 8 would he developed, making a single undulating vline on thesurface of the spherical head at an inclination and of a length requiredhy the gear. and this undulating line constitutes the centre line forone of the slot-s, or grooves. 4. The slots, or grooves7 4 would,inpractice, there fore be formed by a niachinehaving a. cutter adaptedto be tiltedand operate on the spherical head 3 whilst rotating. Ittherefore fol` lows that as the spherical head 3 is rotated uniformlyand the head .Sb is also rotated uniformly the motion imparted to Ythespherical head and tl: nce-to thel drivenshaft 1 will'also be uniform,an d Aconsequentl)Y a uni forni 'rotary 1i'iot ioii ,ofv the drivingelement will he ii'nparted .to the driven shaft -1 This uniform rotarymotionA is continuous*iirespect ive of `the variation of the.. speed 'otrotation of the slots, or grooves, 4 and the sizeof the figure 8 fromwhich they were developed.

The Wabbling movement of the driving ring 5 is effected by revolving thehemispherical end 8* of the spindle 8 round an imaginary extension ofthe centre line of the driven shaft 1 as an axis. The amount of movementcan be varied by altering the circumference of the path through whichthe end 8b revolves. By moving the end 8b of the spindle 8 nearer to thecentre line of the driven shaft 1 the amount of wabbling of the drivingring 5 will be proportionately reduced until the said end is inalignment with the said centre line whereupon the Wabblings will ceaseand the gear will be rendered neutral, or inoperative, that is, norotary motion will be transmitted to the driven shaft 1.

The driving ring 5, in the example of gear shown, is caused to oscillateat any desired angle by the following means '1`he driving element ismade up of a tubular element 2 (see Figure 1) having at its inner enda-concave disc 9 formed integral therewith. To a boss 10 formed on thegear casing 1l and concentric to the driving element 2 is secured atoothed wheel, constituting a sun Wheel 12, in engagement with a toothedwheel of equal diameter, constituting a planet Wheel 13, secured to theouter end of a spindle 1-1 (see Figure 2) rotatably carried on the disc9. A toothed wheel 15 of smaller diameter than the toothed wheels 12 and13 issecured to the. inner end of the spindle 14 and engages with atoothed Wheel 16, of equal diameter, secured to the outer end of theboss 5a of the driving ring 5 Mounted on a boss 9 on the disc 9 throughwhich the spindle 14 passes is an arm 17 having a cup-shaped end 17 forthe reception of the hemispherical head 8 of the spindle 8 on which thedriving ring 5 is mounted. For the purpose of altering the angle of tiltbetween the driven Ishaft 1 and the spindle s which spindle carries thedriving rin 5 and is mounted to turn on the spherical lead 1a of thedriven shaft as hereinbefore described, I form, integrally With arm 17,a toothed quadrant whose axis is the axis of shaft 14. 'l`his quadrantengages a toothed wheel 19 which is rigidly secured to the end of ashaft 20 and located within the tubular driving element 2. The shaft 20is connected to the tubular driving element 2 by a pin 21 which passesthrough a slot *2** in the said driving element and through a spiralslot 20a in the shaft 20 so that movement of the said pin along the saidslots causes the shaft 20 and the toothed wheel 19 secured thereto torotate relatively to the tubular driving element .2, thus` causing thetoothed quadrant 18 and the arm 1T integral with the said quadrant toturn on the spindle 14 thereby turning the vspindle 8 and altering theangle 0f tilt as desired. Presuming the parts to be in the positionshown in Figures 1 and 2, the parts carried by the concave disc 9, theshaft 20 and the toothed Wheel 19 thereon rotate as a unit with thedriving element 2 and effect, through the arm 17, rotation of the head8* of the spindle 8 and, consequently, wabbling of the driving ring 5.The sun and planet wheels constitute acontrol means which permits thedriving ring 5 to wabble but prevents the said ring rotating about itsown axis while the angle of tilt remains constant. The driving ring 5only turns on its axis when the angie of tilt is being adjusted and thenonly to a limited extentsutiicient to alter the angle of tilt fromneutral to maximum as hereinafter described. During the rotation of theparts as aforesaid the planet wheel 13 revolves round the stationary sunWheel 12.

In the hereinbefore described arrangement the driving ring 5continuously moves or wabbles around the axis of the driven shaft 1, butmaintains the angie between its own axis and the axis of the drivenshaft, that is to say the angle of tilt remains constant. Thus undernormal running comlitions the driving ring 5 docs not rotate about itsown axis; but it does turn slightly on the spherical head 3 of thedriven shaft 1 when variation of its degree oftilt with respect tothedriven shaft 1, is effected.

The slots Q and 20a are preferably of such length and the slot 29 ofsuch shape that when the pin 2l is at one end thereof the driven shaft 1will be rotated in one direction, in a clock-wise direction for example,at a maximum speed, and as the said pin is moved towards the centre ofthe length of the said slots, thereby altering the inclination of thedriving ring 5 relati rely to the axis of the driven shaft, the speed ofthe said shaft will be proportionatelyv reduced until the said pinarrives mid-Way of the length of the said slots whereupon the drivingring 5 will be at right angles to the axis of the said shaft androtation thereof will cease. ,ontinued movement of the pin 21 in thesame direction alongr the slots 2a and 20 will cause the driving ring 5to be graduali)1 inclined in the opposite direction and the driven shaft1 to be rotated at a gradually increasing speed 1n thi` oppositedirection, that is, in a counterclock-wise direction, until the said pinarrives at the other end of the said slots when the said driving ringwill be at its greatest vinclination in the opposite direction and thedriven shaft will be rotated at the maximum speed in the said counterclock-wise direction. Any suitable means may be provided for moving` thepin 21 in the slots 2 and 20a for example this may be effected by aHanged shifter 2;! slidable on, but rotatable with, the driving element2, through which shifter the said pin projects. tianges of the shifteris a ring 23 connected to a fork-piece 24 mounted on a spindle 26 Freelymounted between the' of outwardly on the gear casing 11, the saidfork-piece having a controlling lever 27 formed integrally therewith bywhich the shifter can be operated as desired.

`Within the driving ring 5 carrying spring pressed rollers 30, ashereinafter described, which normall r move with the said driving ring,and means, also hereinafter described, are provided whereby the saidcage can be partially rotated relatively to the said driving ring toeffect reversal of the direction of rotation of the driven shaft l asthe pin 2l passes from one side to the other of its mid-position in theslots 2a and 20".

The driving ring 5,

is a cage 29,

as shown more clearly in Figure 4 is provided with an inwardlyprojecting annular flange 5*', to which is removably secured an inwardlyflanged side-plate 5 having an aperture 5d therein, through which thespherical head 3 of the driven shaft l projects. The saidv flangedportion of the driving ring and the said flanged side-plate formsbetween them a chamber constituting a housing for the free wheel Clutchrings 6,

a, 6" and 6c, a bearing ring 28 and the cage i29. The cage 29 carriesers 30 which are interposed between the said bearing ring and the outerperiphery 'of lthe said free wheel clutch rings.

The free wheel clutch rings 6, G", 6b are arranged side by side withinthe driving ring 5 as shown in Figure 4 and each of the said free wheelclutch rings, one Ga of which is shown in Figures 6 and 7, is providedwith a transversely projecting boss (3d which extends the full width ofthe space between the opposed walls of the driving ring 5 and its sideplate 5c and each boss hasa roller 7 mounted thereon mid-way of itslength. The position of ,the bosses 6d relatively to the free wheelclutch rings 6, 6a, 6b and 6 are shown in the sectional views Figures 8,9, l0 and 11 and each of the said free wheel clutch rings has a centralweb 6e on its outer periphery which enters a groove in the periphery ofeach of the spring-pressed rollers 30 of the series interposed betweenthe said clutch ring and the bearing ring 28.

As hereinbefore stated, the spring pressed rollers 30 are carried in thecage 29 which, as shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, consists of a numberof equally spaced rings 29a connected by a number of suitably shaped andequally spaced pieces 29", preferably formed integrally with the saidrings, constituting abutments for the controlling springs 31 and 31abearing on opposite sides of the rollers 30 as shown in Figure 5. Thering of the cage 29 adjacent the side-plate 5c has a number projectingpieces 29c formed thereon which enter slots 5e in the said sideplate.The ring of the said cage adjacent the side wall of the drivmg ring 5has a number of similar, but longer, outwardly projecting spring-pressedrolland GC l pieces 29d formed thereon which project driving ring andare bolted to anexternal ring 32 rotatable on a Collar 5g on the drivingring 5, so that the said cage 29 and the ring 32 are capable ofrotating, relativelykto the driving ring 5, to an extent limited by theslots in the said driving ring intorwhich the projecting pieces 29c and29d on therage 29 project. The bearing ring 28 is formed withlundulating bearing surface the number ofthe waves of which is equal tothe number of rollers interposed between one free wheel clutch ring andthe said bearing ring. Each roller is situated in one of the shallowportions 28a ofthe undulating surface and at the proper time one of theseries of rollers is caused to lock the free wheel clutch ringappertaining to the said series to the bearing ring 28 by or 31 whichtend to press the said rollers towards the crest portions of theundulating surface of the said bearing ring. In Figure 5 the springs 31bearing on one side of the rollers are shown compressed and exert to thebearing ring 28 so that the driven shaft 1 is rotated in one direction,for example in a eloclnvise direction. lVhen however it is required torotate the driven shaftl in the reverse direction, clockwise direction,the controlling lever `2T is operated to incline the driving ring 5 intn e opposite direction, as hereinbefore ring a relative circumferentialmovement, limited by the slots 5 between the driving ring and the cage29 is effected by means hereinafter described. This relative movementcauses the abutments 29b on the cage 29 to move relativelyv to therollers 30 thereby compressing the springs 31,a and permitting thesprings 31 to distend so that the springs 31 are now active and pressthe rollers 30 in the opposite direction to that in which ythe springs31,pressed them, and consequently each of the free wheel clutch ringswill be locked in succession-to the bearing ring 28 only at such timesduring the oscillations of the driving ring 5 as will effect rotation ofthe driven shaft 1 in the said counter clock- Wise direction. .Y

l In Figures `1 and 3 a suitable device is shown for partially rotatingthe cage29 relatively to the driving ring 5 when the said ring has beenmoved to a position at right angles, or approximately at right angles.to the axis of the xdriving shaft 1. This relative rotation of the cageand driving ring is that is in a counterV described, i and during thismovement of the saidfdrivlng one or the other of the springs 3l jin4clfectedlby the hereinafter described meansv whilesthe driven shaft isidling.' Thus, When the direction'ofr'otation of the driven shaft is tobe reversed the means, about to be described, must beactuated While thedriven shaft is'idling and beforethe lever 27 is shifted tothro'w thepin 21 awayvfrom mid position, Aall in order to reverse the drivenshaft. This rneans comprises a ydouble actingpa \v lr `33 secured'to aspindle 34 rotatably mounted on the gear casing l1 and having anoperating lever 35'secured to its outer end, vvith which paWl anupwardly .projecting piece 36-secured to the projecting pieces 29d V ofthe Vcage 29 engages when the driving ring 5 is at right angles, .orapproximately at right anglesto the axis ofthe driven shaft' 'las shownin Figure 3. In order to show fclearly the parts of the device securedtothe projecting pieces 29d of the cage 29 as aforesaid, they are 'shownin the position they Would occupy When the driving ring 5 is at lrightangles to the axis of the driven shaft l. By turning the lever 35in theproper direcl tion one of the pawls of the double acting pawl 33 will,through the upwardly project.- in'g piece 36-partially rotate the cage29 until "the projectingr pieces thereon engage with ythe opposite Wallof the slots 5f, so that the 'ao kdriven shaft l will be rotated in theopposite directionv when the driving ring ,5 `has been further turned onits axis to an angle oppo. site to that shown in Figure l. Upon the,

Y return of the driving ring 5 to a position' at right angles lto theaxis of the driving shaft l'the upwardly projecting piece 36 vWillengage with the other pawl of the'double pawl 33 sothat by operating thelever 35 the cage A 29 canfbe turned relatively' to the driving '40ringv 5to t-he originalfposition shown in Figlure This maybe effected asshown by a pin 37 carried by` a spring-pressed piece 38 slidably carriedin a block 39 secured to the driving ring 5, the said pin engaging'withone y or the other of the slots 40 formed in the un-- der surface .ofthe ring r32. n

` Itis Vto be understood that the invention is not limited to theprecisearrangementsl and 'construction of the parts hereinbefore described andillustrated in the accompany#v in drawingsas modifications may be madewlthout departing fromithe scope of the invention.v l

' In the following the driving ring I include thereby VVall structuresequivalent to that shown and described y and I do not limit. myself to'the' specific embodiment shown.' lWhen I speak of thev driv.

" Y ing ring being tiltabl'e 'I 4mean.. to include 0,0 not only thecapacity of the driyingring 5 to' have theA angle which it makes withthe axis of the driving and driven shafts, altered, but also thepeculiar Wabbling motion given Vto the drivingring bythe rotation of the05 head 8"v of thespindle 8 about theaxis of claims when I speak of' thedriving and driven shafts as a center. Thus one complete rotation ofthe'head 8b around the periphery of a circleWhose center` is the airisof the driving and Idriven shafts will more the driving ring through'onecycle of movement.'

H-avinrnon particularly described and asfcertainer the nature of my saidinvention andin what inanner the same is to be perdriving ring tooscillate in such a manner tliat every point in its circumference movesin alemniscate path and also'causing the driving element to rotate at r.speed proportional to the angle of tilt ofthe driving ring means tos'aidfdriven element.

2. A vspeed changing' gear comprising driving ring means, driving anddriven elements connected by said driving ringnmeans, said meansbeingtiltable upon the driven element and said driven element anddriving ring means having cooperating spherically curved y surfaces, oneof said curved surfaces having grooves, free Wheelclutch devicesI eachhaving roller means thereon, engaging in one of said grooves, said'clutch devices being carried by one of said elements, means actuated bythe. driving element causing the driving ring to 'move in such a mannerthat every point in its circumference moves in av lemniscatepathandcausing the driving element to rotate at a speed proportional to the'angle of tilt of the driving ring means to said driven element, andmeans operable to'alt'er said angle of tilt..

3. Avspeed changing' gear comprising a driving element, a driven elementhaving a spherical head with grooves therein, a tiltable driving ringconnected to the driving A element 'and surrounding said spherical head,

. free Wheel clutch devices carried by said driving ring tosuccessively'be locked to 'y and freed from said driving ring .duringeach cycleof said driving ring, and roller mea-ns mounted on said clutchdevices and engaging in said grooves whereby to rotate Said drivenelement when said driving ring is moved through its cycle of movement.

4. A speed changing gear comprising a driving element, a driven elementhaving a spherical head with grooves therein, a'tiltable driving ringconnected to the driving element and surroundingsaid spherical head,

CERTIFICATE or c'oRREcTioN.

Patent No. 1,748,856. Granted February 25, 1930, to

BERTRAM VALLANCE.

1t is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5,lineY 41, after the period and before the word "This" insert thesentence "If desired, the driving ring 5 may be yieldably locked tothecage 29 in either of their extreme relative positionsl; and that thesaid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that thesame may-conform to the record of the case in the latent Office. p

Signed and sea-led this 25th day of March, A. D. 1930.`

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patente.

